The Kenosha telegraph. [volume] (Kenosha, Wis.) 1860-1888, 1887-03-11
AT REST.

AT REST.
Henry Ward Beecher Passes Peacefully
to His Reward-No Return of Conscious
ness Scene at the Death-Bed = Bio
graphical Sketch.
NEW YORK, March 9-Rev Henry Ward
Beecher died at 9;3o o'clock yesterday
morning surrounded by ali the members of
his family except those for whom distance
or sickness made it impossible to reach his
bedside. S. v. White and E. A Seacomb
of Plymouth Church and Major ]. B. Pond
were also present when Deaths summons
came.
The news of Mr.. Beecher's death spread
very quickly tc all parts of the city, and
Brooklyn may now be said to be city of
mourning. Even those who did not always
concur with Mr. Beecher in his
views had no hesitation in ex-
pressing their deep regret at his
death. AS mark of respect to his memory
the flags on all the public buildings were
placed at half-mast and Mayor Whitney
had the City Hall bell tolled. Flags were
hung at half-mast on the post-office, at the
navy-yard, and on the towers of the
Brooklyn bridge, and many private citi-
zens expressed sorrow in the same way
DR.. Searle made the following verbal
statement in regard to the distinguished
divlne's last hours:
''Mr. Beecher began to fail decidedly at three
o'clock this morning His respiration was
rapid. At four o'clock the family was sum-
moned Death came slowly and stealthily.
S respirations gradually became faster and
faster until they reached sixty "a minute.
His pulse was variable and often reached
40. He still remained in the same
condition except as to breathing his
eyes closed, and he was entirely unconscious.
The motions of the right arm became less fire.
quent, and were finally stopped almost entire
ly. About nine o'clock in the morning we
could detect the first symptoms of immediate
death. His pulse ran up still higher, f1iekered
and 1uctuated until 9:2S, two minutes
before his death. His pulse ceased al
most entirely at the wrist, being so faint
that it could hardly be detected, and then
stopped altogether There was a rattling in
his throat, painful to those around him, but I'M
felt by him, owing to the failure of the nerve
center of the respiratory organs, together with
the failure of the hearts action. His death was
very easy, as painless if not as pleasant as
death from suffocation or by drowning is said
to be-
Henry Ward Beecher was the son of Lyman
Beecher, D. D., who was the father of thirteen
children, six of whom attained distinction, as
follows: Catherine Esther, Edward, Henry
Ward, Harriet Elizabeth (Stowe), Charles and
Thomas Kennicutt Henry Ward was born
at Litchfeld, Conn.,, June "a, 1918. He
graduated at Amherst in 1884, finishing
his theological course at Lane Seminary
Before entering the ministry he was
an editor; his first newspaper work was
on the Cincinnati Journal, in 1886, of which he
was the principal writer. His first pastorate
was in Lawrenceburg, Conn, where he had
charge of the Presbyterian Church In 1889 he
was called to Indianapolis Ind, and remained
there as a pastor of the Presbyterian Church
until his return to the East. While in charge
of the Indianapolis church he was a contribu-
tor to an agricultural journal printed there, his
articles appearing under the title of Fruits,
Flowers and Farming
In 1917 he received and accepted a call from
Plymouth Church, then a new Congregational
organization in Brooklyn, and it was here that
he first acquired his reputation as pulpit
orator. Mr.. Beecher soon became prominent
on account of his lectures against slavery and
his advocacy of temperance. He early espoused
the cause of the Republican party, and not only
aided it on the hastings but from the pulpit
When the independent Mr.. Bowen's pa
one of its staff contributors, and from 1861
to 1868 was its editor. In 1870 he took editorial
management of the Christian Union, a weekly
religious publication, and continued in that Ca
pacity for ten years. In 1861 he made his Sec
ond visit to Great Britain and spoke to vast
audiences on the questions involved in the
civil war. In many places his receptions were
oyations In 1871 the Lyman Beecher Lect-
ureship' in the Yale College Divinity School
there were delivered by Mr.. Beecher. His week
ly sermons have been printed since 1859.
In 1874 occurred the great civil suit of Tilton
VS.. Beecher, in which Mr.. Beecher was charged
with alternating the affections of Mrs Tilton.
Tilton and Beecher had been associated in the
publication of the independent, but business
troubles the real nature of which have never
been known arose, and soon after Mr.. Tilton
made public the charges which were the
foundation of an Investigation by a committee
of members of Plymouth Church. This COM
mittee declared Mr.. Beecher innocent, and
Tilton thereupon brought suit in the courts to
recover S100 900 damages. The proceedings of
the trial are too well-known to require even re-
capitulation. After a trial lasting for six
months the jury disagreed, nine being for &C
quital and three for conviction.
In 1873, Mr.. Beecher announced his disbelief
in the doctrine of eternal punishment. In
1882 he formally withdrew from the Association
of Congregational Churches, on account of this
change in belief. 1t was also in this year that
Mr.. Beecher withdrew from the Republican
party and supported the candidacy of Mr.
Cleveland Democrat, for the Presidency He
made several speeches during that campaign.
Mr.. Beecher's published works are: "Lect-
ures to Young Men, ''Star Papers, plymouth
Collection of Hymns and Tunes Life
Thoughts" pleasant Talks About Fruits and
Flowers and Farming" Eyes and Ears"
Freedom and Wa" Royal Truths "Aids to
Plmouth Pulpit" Norwood" novel,
'Overtures of Angels" Lecture Room
Talks" Morning and Evening Exercises"
yale Lectures on Preaching "a Summer
Parish and Life of Christ" The first vol
ume of the last was issued in 1871. A few
months ago Mr.. Beecher announced that he
would give the public the second volumes, and
it is understood that he was at work on this
when he was stricken down.
Mr.. Beecher's style of oratory was peculiar to
himself. To the argumentative he combined
the poetic and humorous faculties. In fact. he
was the first American minister to introduce
humor in the pulpit, and it was no uncommon
occurrence for Plymouth congregations to ap-
plaud his utterances or laugh outright In the
next sentence they would be in tears. His man
ner, both as a preacher and lecturer, was
convincing, and over all with whom he came in
contact there was magnetism in the man
which created an admiration for him in spite of
prejudice previously formed.
Mr.. Beecher leaves four children They are:
Colonel Henry B. Beecher, insurance agent,
Brooklyn; Major William c. Beecher, ex-Assist-
ant District Attorney, New York. Herbert F.
Beecher, United States Treasury agent, Seattle
w. T., and Mrs. Rev. Samuel Scoville, SIAM
ford, Conn. Mr.. Beecher has lost four children,
all infants. His brothers and sisters who sur
vive him are: Rev. Edward Beecher, D. D.,
Brooklyn; Rev. Charles Beecher, Wysox, Pa;
Rev. Thomas K. Beecher. Elmira, N. Y; Will
lam Beecher, Chicago; Mrs. Perkins, residing
with her son-in-law, Rev. e. E. Hale, Boston;
Mrs. Harriet Beecher Stowe and Mrs. L. B.
Hooker. both of Hartford, Conn.
They arbitrated- old tramp
who had agreed to saw wood for half
an hour for his breakfast from Balti-
more woman, quit at the seventh stick
and said: Madam, l have struck for
more breakfast and less wood. ara Won